EFFECTS OF CEMENT DUST ON HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN ADULT WISTAR RATS

ABSTRACT
Cement production is a rapidly growing industry in developing countries like Nigeria. The process is a dusty industrial one with consequent occupational hazards to workers in the production industry. In this study, twenty rats of mixed sexes were divided into five study groups of four rats each. Group] was retained as control in the departmental animal house. Groups 2 to 5, which serve as treatments were exposed to very heavy, heavy, medium and mild dust environment, defined by distances from site of production in centimeters. At the end of a month exposure, the animals were sacrificed and blood tissue obtained for haematological analysis by standard methods. The results of haemoglobin concentration (g/dl) of the treatment groups were significantly lower than that of the control at p<0.05. The red blood cell Concentration (x10⁶cells/pL) of the treatment groups were significantly lower than that of the control at p<0.05 while white blood cell Concentration (x10³cells/nL) of the control at p<0.05 was significantly lower than that of the treatment groups. KEYWORDS: Platelet count, Hemoglobin, packed cell volume, total red, white blood cell.